The Kiss or the Kiss Off?

A new survey looks into today’s kissing culture in America. The survey, completed by Harris Interactive, looks at the preferred methods to greet people, the average age for one’s first kiss, favorite types of smooches, kissing etiquette in the dating world, and the reasons why a first date would get the dreaded “kiss off.” There are some interesting stats in here.

The First “Real” Kiss

The Preteen Peck: 22% of respondents admit that their first “real” kiss happened when they were between 11 and 13 years old

High School Hot Lips: The most common age for a first “real” kiss to have happened was between the ages of 14 and 16 (37%), with 18% getting their first memorable smooch between 17 and 19 years old

Still Waiting: 4% of Americans are still waiting for their first real kiss

Why “Kiss Off” A First Date?

Smelly Start: Body odor ranks the highest (66%) as a date turnoff by both men and women; 47% of men feel they’d give a date with bad breath the “kiss off” compared to 41% of women

Bad Habits Make the Break: A date who smokes will cause 42% of men to not ask for a second, while 34% of all women wouldn’t tolerate a smoker; half of all the women state that they would give men the “kiss off” if they drank too much (versus 28% of men)

Respect Your Waitress: When dining out, be nice to your server: 31% of men and women would not have a second date with someone who is rude to the staff; additionally, 8% of respondents state they will end a date if there are any signs of cheapness or bad tipping.

Kisses That Spark Fireworks

Top Kisses: Tender kisses (42%) and lustful, passionate kisses (40%) rank the highest on the list of favorite types of kisses for both sexes, however, women consider the tender kiss to be the best (48%), while men prefer the lustful, passionate pucker (46%)

First…and Forbidden: 27% of adults surveyed consider their first kiss to be one of their favorite types of kisses, while 12% feel that a forbidden kiss is tops

Kiss and Make Up: One in ten Americans prefer the kiss and make up variety of kiss

Butterfly Kisses: Women favor lots of small kisses more than twice as much as men (12% versus 5%)

The Nuptial Sealer: Only 8% of all those surveyed – equal amongst men and women – feel that the “you may now kiss the bride” kiss was one of the best kinds of kisses

The Manners of Kissing, by Gender

Opening Kiss: 58% of total respondents feel that it is perfectly fine to kiss on the first date, though men were more apt to be open to first date frolicking

Ladies, Take the Lead: More than half (58%) of men believe that the woman can make the first move for a first kiss

Goodbye Kiss: Men and women differ when it comes to bad dates and kissing: 39% of women say they will never kiss a bad date good night compared to only 26% of men who won’t. Interestingly, 13% of the men state that they have ended a bad date with a kiss, while only 6% of women replied the same

American Kissing Customs

Greeting a Stranger: 40% of respondents are uncomfortable when someone they’ve just met tries to kiss them when saying hello or goodbye; more women than men indicate that this lip maneuver makes them feel uncomfortable (49% women, 30% men)

Who’s Kissing Where: Those from the Northeast are most likely to indicate that they greet very close friends with a kiss (42%)

A Family Affair: About one-third (37% total; 32% males, 41% of females) will only greet immediate family members with a kiss; those from the Midwest (42%) and the South (41%) are more likely to say this

“Hello, Dah-ling”: An air kiss is more likely to come from women (15%) than men (10%); fewer men and women express their preference for the double-cheek kiss as a casual greeting (7%)

Smooch the Pooch: 45% of women and 27% of males admit that they kiss their pets

Softlips® Survey Methodology:Harris Interactive® fielded the Softlips® study from May 9-11, 2007, via its QuickQuerySM online omnibus service, interviewing a nationwide sample of 2,069 U.S. adults aged 18 years and older. Data were weighted to be representative of the total U.S. adult population on the basis of region, age within gender, education, household income, race/ethnicity, and propensity to be online. In theory, with a probability sample of this size, one can say with 95 percent certainty that the results have a sampling error of plus or minus 3 percentage points of what they would be if the entire population of U.S. adults aged 18 and older had been polled with complete accuracy. This is not a probability sample.

4 Responses

Um — who cares? I have to agree with Alex M. who wrote on your last blog. I’ve read your articles a few times and read your past 2 blogs. For a 30 year old, you should be writing for 17 magazine where pre-teens and the like, actually care what you’re writing about! It’s not an age where we’re trying to be seen at the best clubs or figure out how to use myspace — you’re like the unpopular kid who just never got enough attention. I won’t stay tuned for the next article — I’ve figured out how to deal with my menstrual cramps!

Jack, Good point. Please see the bottom of the post. Also, here it is:
Softlips® Survey Methodology:

Harris Interactive® fielded the Softlips® study from May 9-11, 2007, via its QuickQuerySM online omnibus service, interviewing a nationwide sample of 2,069 U.S. adults aged 18 years and older. Data were weighted to be representative of the total U.S. adult population on the basis of region, age within gender, education, household income, race/ethnicity, and propensity to be online. In theory, with a probability sample of this size, one can say with 95 percent certainty that the results have a sampling error of plus or minus 3 percentage points of what they would be if the entire population of U.S. adults aged 18 and older had been polled with complete accuracy. This is not a probability sample.

I love to start my day with a peek at Kristi’s blog. It’s refreshing to read lighthearted and fun articles when so much of my day is spent on much heavier topics – work, finances, and other responsibilities that demand so much attention. Please keep the fun surveys and tidbits coming.